Solar-Powered Plane Flies Across America

A solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse, ended its historic trip across America with a dramatic landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) late Saturday.

The plane landed three hours earlier than planned, at 11:09 p.m. EDT, because of a rip in the fabric on the lower side of the left wing, according to the company’s website.

The plane was not in danger, but it made the last leg of a near 230-mile journey “especially difficult,” Swiss pilot André Borschberg said.

Borschberg is the co-founder and CEO of Solar Impulse. He and one other pilot,  Bertrand Piccard, have been alternately flying the aircraft since leaving San  Francisco on their cross-country journey on May 3 with stops in Phoenix,  Dallas-Fort Worth, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Washington D.C.

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